When you suffer life-changing neck and back injuries in a trucking accident, you often face an uphill battle getting the compensation you deserve. We have recovered more than $30,000,000 for accident victims since our firm opened in 1994. If an accident left you with a herniated disc, years of shooting pain and incapacitating weakness could be in your future. Your physical well-being and your lifestyle may never be the same. We wanted to put together some example payouts and settlements we have seen with New Jersey truck accident cases so you can get an idea of what the average lawsuit settlement looks like.
New Jersey commercial truck accidents are one of the most serious issues on the road. The sheer size of commercial vehicles means that, in the case of a collision, passenger cars can be overwhelmed and crushed within a matter of seconds. Even if the drivers of these passenger vehicles can walk away from the crash, the force of the impact is often enough to cause long-term pain and serious medical problems. If you were recently in an accident involving a commercial vehicle in New Jersey, make sure you are taken care of by a trusted personal injury lawyer, so your medical bills don’t cause even more pain.
There are more than 500,000 commercial truck accidents each year, with roughly 5,000 of those accidents turning fatal. Of those accidents, 86% of people killed in crashes related to commercial vehicles are in passenger cars. The average passenger vehicle is less than 3,000 pounds, while the average commercial truck weighs more than 25,000 pounds. Because commercial trucks are so much bigger, even the slightest hit can cause permanent damage to the passenger vehicle and jeopardize the lives of the people inside.
There are additional risks that come with truck drivers getting into accidents on the road. Most trucks weigh 20-30 times that of passenger vehicles, and their high center of gravity makes them more likely to flip over. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) analyzed 239 truck rollover crashed in 2008 and found that the truck driver was at fault the vast majority of the time.
There are several reasons why commercial truck accidents, including rollovers and rear ends, occur. When commercial drivers aren’t careful, they put the lives of everyone on the road at risk. A few reasons for commercial truck accidents include driving under the influence, excessive speeding, merging into lanes without looking, and distractions because of cell phone use. When truck drivers are fatigued or distracted while driving, the other drivers around them pay the price.
According to the truck accident settlement examples listed on this page, the typical New Jersey truck accident settlement is anywhere from $515,000 to $1,375,000. Settlements depend greatly on the unique circumstances of each case which is why we will never promise that you can receive a certain amount because there are multiple factors that go into developing a case. Even when we do propose an amount, we will likely receive a counter-offer from the insurance company and work to negotiate it.
However, when you consult with a lawyer at Console and Associates, they will do whatever they can to help you better understand your case and prepare you for what is ahead, especially in terms of financial coverage when we have that information.
Truck accidents are as varied as they are unpredictable. Even small accidents can have long-lasting impacts on those involved. Below are just a few examples of accidents caused by commercial drivers.
A client of Console and Associates had pulled over to a rest stop and was sleeping in his bunk in the truck’s cab when another tractor-trailer slammed into him. The second driver had lost control of the vehicle, and our client’s truck bared the brunt of the accident. His neck hit the stick shift, he had multiple herniated discs, and he developed wrist injuries in both arms. For this client, the focus of the case was on his medical needs. Our client needed two surgeries to recover and felt overwhelmed by the medical bills that came with them. Not only did he need help with medical bills, but he also lost time working because of medical care and recovery. Each day he lost in the healing process was time he otherwise would have been working. Finally, our client needed to cover long-term care. He still feels pain from the injury and may have to look for a new career because of it. These life changes have real costs that last long after the accident. Through the help of our New Jersey truck accident attorneys, he recovered $750,000 to cover his expenses in the trucking accident. Disclaimer: Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances
In June 2015, Harvey Saleh-Crespo was driving his personal vehicle down Route 80 when he was struck from behind by Joseph Santos, an employee for Landscape Works of Hackensack.
Because of the rear-end accident, Saleh-Crespo injured his cervical spine and right shoulder, which required pain management, physical therapy, and chiropractic care. Injuries like these can take years to recover from, and many spinal and shoulder injuries turn into chronic pain problems that never heal. This leads to long-term prescription and chiropractic bills that keep flowing even when the initial insurance offering dries up.
Despite the extensive care, Saleh-Crespo was unable to return to his job as a commercial truck driver. He needed compensation to pay his bills while he finds work or receives the necessary job training and education to enter a new career field. After mediation with Santos, lawyers, the parties agreed to a settlement amount of $1.375 million. Disclaimer: Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
3. Client Receives Truck Accident Lawsuit Settlement After Being Rear-ended by a Commercial VehicleIn another Console and Associates case, a man was sitting at a red light when a commercial truck rear-ended him. The force of the impact pushed him into the busy intersection of Route 70, where he was vulnerable to oncoming traffic. The commercial truck driver admitted that he wasn’t paying attention and was unable to stop his vehicle.
Even though our client’s injuries seemed minor, the pain kept getting worse, and his medical bills kept increasing as he sought treatment. Had our client accepted the first offer from the insurance company, he wouldn’t have had enough to cover his long-term care needs, just his immediate pain.
Even after treatment, our client was unable to drive for long periods of time or lift his arms above his head. This seriously impacted his lifestyle. He was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who operated his own commercial truck driving business. Basic things that he took for granted were no longer possible, and he sought pain and suffering damages because of this.
When his insurance company abandoned him, we stepped in. Our client was awarded $515,000 for his pain and suffering as a result of the crash. Disclaimer: Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
If you were involved in a truck-related accident and have a similar story to the people above, don’t hesitate to call. Reach out to Console and Associates and ask us to represent you.
Not only have we handled hundreds of commercial truck accident claims just like yours over 25 years of legal practice, but we’ve also been in your shoes. At Console & Associates, we know how much is at stake when your life has been derailed by another person’s negligence because many of us have been victims ourselves.
Our experienced team can help recover the compensation you deserve so that medical care isn’t out-of-reach or unaffordable, lost wages aren’t missed forever, and otherwise reclaiming your life after a devastating accident injury becomes possible again.
We know that the last thing you want is to be stuck with a mountain of medical bills and the worry of paying for a lawyer. That’s why we offer our No Fee Promise – if we don’t get you money, you don’t pay us anything. We advance all costs associated with filing your claim. There’s no risk to you – no up front costs and no legal fees unless we win.
Call us today at (856) 644-5445 to get started with a free consultation so you can focus on what matters most – getting better.
Take a look at what some of our happy Marlton clients have to say:
“I was very impressed with Console & Associates law firm. All whole staff is very professional from the first call to settlement. It’s hard to find genuine and knowledgeable attorneys these days. I recommend this law firm to anyone in need of an injury attorney. Thank you so much!”
Joselyn Alicea, April 4, 2022, Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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